Moving target machine



N- SUYDAM MOVING TARGET MACHINE Dec. 14, 1948.

2 Sheets-She-et 1 Filed Aug. l, 1945 N. sUYDAM 2,456,034

MOVING TARGET MACHINE l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. `14, 194s.

Filed Aug. 1o, 1 945 .0. W HV. 7 x Mv 2 A@ 0 Patented Dec. 14, 1948 1 This invention relates to a moving targt ma# An object of this invention is to provide an inproved moving target machine'in whichthe target is conveyedupwardly in fulltie'w of a shooter and then drops under the inuence o f gravity out o view o f a shooter when the target reaches highest point of itspatn A further object of thi. invention is to provide an improved moving target mechanism in which te target is conveyed upwardly by a conveyor and when hit by a shooter, drops immediately under the influence of gravity in fullvie'w ofthe shooter comparable to bringing down game in field shooting. Another object of this invention is to provide an improved moving target machine Ahaving a target which is carried by a conveyor during the target run and which fans freely' to the starting point at bya shooter. 'stili another object of this invention is to provide an improved moving target device where# in a target is conveyed upwardly in frontof back stop plates during the target run and is returned under the influence of gravity behind the back stop plates after completion the target run, said device including iiXed cams to release the target from the conveyor at the end ofthetarget run and to reset the target for coactionwith the conveyor at the startoi the target run.

Other objects of this invention wil1 appear *from the following specication and c laimsand from the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, wherein: Figure 1 is a front elevational View showing successive positionsof the target;

Figure 2 is a side elevational View with the side wall removed to show the conveyor mechanism and target construction;

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view with the rear wall removed to show one of the conveyor lift ngers cooperating with the target; and

Figure e is a pian View with the top wall removed showing the back stop and the target .-construction.

Referring to the drawings, the target mechanism is housed in a cabinet I having a rear wall 2, side walls 3 and 4, a bottom 5, and a top wall G, the front of the cabinet being open except for shield plates l and B extending across the lower and upper ends, respectively. Spaced inwardly from the front of the cabinet and spaced from the top and bottom ni the cabinet are a pair of the end of the target run or when hit i 1 2 when is new Slet il; blcl provided with@ groove 'i5 whicrislitlablv vesshft 3- rlai f6, i lthoidsmeshaf 131m rear er shaft, ltxxtenus d thje bicij iq and isp; vigneti time it rai projectipri n taie-nhert as tjoj myfj reis vedrai/@L Diff a es." ingrove 5' `f block lL C 11 mpx et Of hftllposiintimated., face i?, bahia there@ 6i platl .Q a1d.iilaed 1e$g1t prometen, il. beleg. illfiel beyondliliger. w anliegt @bien inerentees soonas, the. ,target shaft. 131s raleased from in'ger i8, the target block l4 ar ry ing target shaft. t and target tface I Lwll immediatelyell t0 th e b0tt 0 1 .0i the .Qabnt 1in.- der the influence @i grewityE During this fall; the blocl; M is guidedby nxed gu i de rodsZLuthe block id beingprovided with guide holes 22 to receive the guide rods,

When the target shaft i3 nearsthe bottoni gf thecabinet, its rearend engages a fixed cam 23 vwhicl' gives the shaft i3 forward movement while falling; to. present the target face l2 in frontof the piane of, back' plates 9 and i0 and to place projection il in the-line of conveyor IS when the target face reaches the bottom of the housing. The bottom of the cabinet is provided with a pad 24 to absorb the force of block I4 falling thereon. The target mechanism remains at the bottom until the next approaching iinger i8 engages the under surface of projection il to lift the target block, target shaft and target face through another cycle.

Conveyor I9 is mounted on sprockets 25 and 3 26, as seen in Figure 3, lower sprocket 26 being driven from motor 21 through chain 28. Idler wheel 29 is provided to maintain conveyor I9 at proper tension.

In operation, the conveyor I9 is continually in motion, moving in a clockwise direction in Figure 3. Assuming that the target device comprising block I4, shaft I3, and target face I2 is resting on pad 24, the next approaching finger I8 will engage the under surface of projection I'I of shaft I3 and lift the target device as a unit, the shaft I3 moving through slot II and target face I2 being positioned in front of back members 9 and I0. Let us assume that in position A of Figure 2, the target is hit by a shooter and is thus forced inwardly. Inward or rearward motion of shaft I3 will cause projection I1 to be disengaged from nger I B. Since the target device now has no support, it will immediately fall under the influence of gravity while guided by rods 2I passing through block I4. During this fall, target face I2 will be visible to the shooter until it drops behind wall 'I. The dotted arrow in position A .indicates the path taken by target face I2` when hit. This sudden fall of a struck target simulates falling game when hit and will afford a-thrill to the shooter comparable to breaking a clay target in trap shooting or bringing down game in eld shooting. Before the target device reaches pad 24, shaft I3 will be cammed forwardly somewhat by cam 23 to bring target face I2 to its forward position and to bring projection I'I in a position to be lifted by the next oncoming finger I8 to restart the cycle.

v When the target face is not hit during the target run, it will disappear from View behind Wall 8 in position B and soon thereafter will be cammed rearwardly by cam 20 to bring face I2 behind back plates 9 and I0 and to disengage projection II from nger I8. The unsupported target device will immediately fall and this time the target face I2, behind back plates 9 and I0, will not be visiblev to the shooter. Near the bottom, the target device will be cammed to proper position by cam 23 for the -neXt cycle. By returning the target to the starting position by gravity, little time is lost between target runs even when the target is carried slowly through the target run.

While a certain specific embodiment of this invention has been shown, it will be understood thatv various modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention. Therefore, no limitations ,on the invention are intended other than are imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a moving target machine, a vertically positioned target run, a target movable from the bottom to the top of the machine through the target run, a conveyor, a finger on said conveyor constructed to engage the target to support it vertically and to carry it upwardly through the target run, a cam at the upward end of the target run for disengaging the target from said finger whereby the target may fall under the influence of its own Weight to the bottom of the machine,

`and means at the bottom of the run forresetting 'the target for engagement with said nger.

2. In a moving target machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said target comprises a block movable therewith, a horizontal shaft carried by said block, said shaft being axially slidable in said block, and a target face fixed to said shaft, said shaft being provided with a projection for engagement with said finger.

3. In a moving target machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said machine is provided with a pair of spaced back plates forming a slot therebetween, said slot dening said target run, and wherein said target comprises a block movable therewith, a horizontal shaft carried by said block, said shaft being axially slidable in said block, and a target face fixed to said shaft, said conveyor being constructed and arranged to carry said target upwardly, with said target face in front of said back plates, and wherein said cam, in disengaging the target from the linger, displaces said target face horizontally to a plane behind said back plates.

4. In a moving target machine, a target movable from the bottom to the top of the machine, a wall in front of said target, a slot in said wall defining the run of said target, a conveyor for supporting said target vertically and for carrying said target upwardly through said target run, means for disengaging said target from said conveyor at the top of the run, whereby the target is unsupported vertically and falls under the influence of gravity to the bottom of the run, and a cam at the bottom of the machine for resetting the target for :re-engagement with said conveyor.

5. In a moving target machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said target comprises a target face and a block, a horizontal shaft carrying said target face and slidably mounted in said block, wherein said conveyor is constructed and arranged to engage said shaft to carry the target through the target run with said target face in front of said wall, and wherein when the target face is hit, said shaft is horizontally disengaged from said conveyor and the target falls to the bottom of the machine with the target face in front of said wall.

6. In a moving target machine, a target movable upwardly through a target run, a wall, a slot in said wall defining said target run, a conveyor for vertically supporting said target and for carrying said target upwardly while the target is positioned in front of said wall, and means at the top of the target run for disengaging said target from said conveyor and transposing said target behind the plane of said Wall, whereby said target falls to the bottom of the machine behind said wall, said target being constructed and arranged whereby when said target is hit during the target run, said target is horizontally disengaged from said conveyor and falls under the inuence of gravity while positioned in front of said Wall.

NORMAN SUYDAM.

No references cited. 

